Shipping-crate.



H. N. BAGKUS. SHIPPING CRATE. APPL'IOATIONTILED AUG. Z1. 1905.

Patenteo'll Nov. 9, 1909.

HENRY N. BACK''S, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application led August 21, 1905. Serial 110.274,995.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY N. BACKUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping- Crates; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shipping crates, designed for the shipment of oysters and other sea foods in bulk and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and pointed out more particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is toproduce a crate of the character described in which the structure is such as to combine lightness with extreme strength and durability, at the same time providing for the refrigeration of the contents of the crate by means of a metal lining which retains the ice around the walls of the containing vessel or vessels, removably seated within the crate, provision being made for preventin lateral displacement of said vessel or vesse s during transportation. The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :4-

Figure 1. is perspective view of the crate involving my invention, a portion of the side being broken away to show interior construction and arrangement. Fig. 2. is a central transverse section through the crate closed.

It has heretofore been the practice in crates or carriers of the character hereinafter described to build the crate of solid walls in the form of a box and provide a metal lining therefor. Experience, however, has

` demonstrated the fact that a crate so constructed is impracticable for the purpose designated owing to the fact that such a crate is exceedingly heavy, thereby compelling a very high express charge for transportation and the further fact that the solid walls easily split in handling and are diiiicult to join at the corners in a permanent manner.

To overcome the above objection I form the crate of a woven fabric consisting of parallel wooden slats bound together by wire or other metal strands, whereby an exceedingly strong and rigid crate is produced which is comparatively light and which when provided with a metal lining is as efcacious for refrigerator purposes as is a crate with solid walls.

In carrying out my invention I form the ends, sides and bottom of the crate of wooden slate 1 .which are crossed by binding `or stay wires 2 and are bound together and to the stay or binding wires by the tie wires 3, which embraces the slats and are secured to the binding wires between the slats as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The bottom slats of the sides extend onto the bottom of the crate and secured thereto are the bottom runners 4 upon which the crate rests and through the medium of which the bottom of the crate is elevated and protected. The cover 5 of the crate is loosely hinged to the lbody as shown at 6 and is provided with a suitable lock for holding the cover closed. The crate is lined with a sheeting of galvanized iron 7 or other suitable material which is flanged outwardly at the top as shown at 8 and secured tothe heavy upper slats 9 of the sides and ends of the crate. The corners at the junction of said slats are protected by the metal corner plates 10 and the corners of the crate are protected externally by the vertically extending corner plates 11.

As illustrated herein the crate is shown arranged for the shipment of two of the oyster containing cans or vessels 12. These cans are rectangular in shape and are made of galvanized iron or analogous material, being provided with a suitable cover 13 hinged thereto. In order to prevent the cans shifting laterally and to hold them centrally within the crate and space them the proper distance from the walls thereof, the `bottom is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 14, along the opposite sides, upon which the metal lining lies, whereby a central depression 15 is produced in the bottom to receive the bottom of the cans 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

To divide the cans and afford a proper space between them for the broken ice in which the cans are packed, a transverse dividing bar 16 is employed, the ends of which are secured at 17 to the ribs 14 upon which ends of a bar lies, whereby said bar is sufficiently elevated to allow the passage of the water from the melting ice there under, said water escaping through the aperture 1S in the metal lining which covers the bottom of the crate. Owing to the fact that the slats which form the walls of the crate are separated and allow a free circulation of air there around, the crate is prevented becoming water soaked and because of the fact that the crate can so quickly dry out after becoming wet, it does not deteriorate through decay.

While I have shown the crate arranged to contain two of the vessels l2, I provide a smaller crate adapted to contain only one can when a small shipment is required. In this connection it will be understood that the crate may be made sufficiently large to contain any number of cans desired, within a reasonable limit.

'To prevent the cross wires 2 being broken by striking the crate against a sharp corner or other object in the handling there` of, guard rails 19 are employed along the sides of the crate at the bottom which are secured to the runners 4 and which project slightly beyond the sides of said crate.

To make a tight closure between the cover and top of the crate, the under face of the cover is provided with a marginal strip of felt 20, which closes upon the top of the crate when the cover is down, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position, it will be observed, the cover is the cans thereby against shifting.

contiguous to the top of holding them securely Having thus fully set forth my inveng upper slats of the fabric forming the four walls of the crate being relatively thick and heavy, a metallic lining for said crate covering the inner surface of the walls and bottoni, the central portion of the metallic lin i ing of the bottom of the crate being depressed and said depressed bottom portion having a drain opening leading from the bottom thereof, the upper edge of the metallic lining of the crate being flanged over onto the heavy upper slats forming the top of the walls, and a dividing strip at the bol1- tom crossing the depressed central portion above the plane of said depression, the ends of said strip being supported on the inarginal portions of the bottom of the crate.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY N. BACKUS. Witnesses BURR LOBAELL, E. S. WHEELER. 

